Holiday Holds On, Atlanta & Detroit Win

Packers' D comes up 5 points short for Outlaws, but Dallas still alive

Monday night's Packers-Pathers game (or Pack-Cats if you were watching ABC's telecast) wasn’t as dramatic as three weeks ago when Antonio Freeman's juggling overtime catch defeated Minnesota, but don't tell that to the TBFFL fans watching.

Brett Favre and Ryan Longwell for Phoenix as well as Steve Beuerlein for Texas both failed to score enough points for their teams to overtake Atlanta and Detroit. The Flying Fleet and the Demons, (both 9-4) can both still win the Western Division title. The Circles and the T-Wolves, both 7-6 and assured of being in the playoffs, will meet in the season finale next week. Both teams are a game behind the 8-5 Seattle Superbeasts, who play Holiday. All three teams still have a chance of winning the Central Division title. Seattle controls their own destiny and would take the division with a win, but if they lose, they would be in a tiebreaker with the winner of the Phoenix-Texas game. If it is Phoenix, Phoenix would have the advantage, they would have a 4-2 division record, compared with Seattle's 3-3. If Seattle and Texas wind up tied, it would be decided by point differential in divisional games. Going into Week 14, Seattle leads Texas +9 to +2. If they were to end up tied after this weeks games' the tiebreaker would go to Texas based on net points overall.

But the important matchup decided last night was between 5-7 Holiday and 5-7 Dallas. Both teams desperately needed a win if they wanted to qualify for the playoffs. The Vikings held a 9 point lead, with Green Bay special teams yet to play for the Outlaws. They were only able to score 4 points on 2 sacks, 1 interception and 1 fumble recovery, but Dallas remained alive, albeit remotely, to get in the playoffs next week, they would need to beat Atlanta, and have both Miami and Tampa lose. Miami, who has continued to struggle since losing Terrell Davis and Brian Griese, and Holiday can both clinch the final two playoff spots with wins this week. Tampa, like Dallas, needs some help to make the playoffs. If either Holiday or Miami lose, the Terror would get in with a win.

The two teams of these four that fail to make the playoffs will compete with Chicago and Jacksonville for the right (not) to meet in the Toilet Bowl, Dec. 18.

Good luck, everybody!

Seattle in Playoffs, Phoenix and T-Wolves back their way in; Dallas-Holiday battle to be decided tonight

Atlanta and Detroit keep pace a top the Western Division, both winning big

The Seattle Superbeasts (8-5) have apparently completed their trek from last place to the playoffs by winning their fifth straight game, and clinching a playoff spot, defeating the Tampa Terror (5-7-1), whose own playoff hopes are seriously in doubt after losing their third straight. The S-Beasts lead 78 to 75 with only Green Bay's Bubba Franks playing tonight for Seattle. The Tampa loss also puts Phoenix (7-5) and Texas (7-5) into the playoffs, even though they both are losing to Detroit and Atlanta, respectively (both 8-4). The Crop Circles trail the Demons by 32, but Phoenix has both Brett Favre and Ryan Longwell tonight. Texas still has Steve Beurelein QB-ing the Panthers tonight, but they trail Atlanta by 30. A Fleet win and a Demon loss would give the Western Division to Atlanta.

Seattle, who was lead by Donovan McNabb's 25 points, could take the Central Division out-right with a win next week, assuming Favre or Beuerlein don't have a shootout tonight.

In a game with major playoff implications, Dallas (5-7) trails Holiday (also 5-7) by nine points, with the Green Bay defense going for the Outlaws tonight. "My Packer-D is going to come up big tonight, I can feel it," said Dallas Outlaw owner Patrick Bryant Monday Morning. The loser would fall behind the Terror and be in serious danger of missing the playoffs. The winner would be tied at 6-7 with Miami and be in a good position to grab one of the final playoff spots next week.

The Lakers, meanwhile, loss to the Eastern Division Champion Pittsburgh Gators in blowout fashion, as they continue their injuried-plagued slump, dropping their thrid straight. Pittsburgh (9-3-1) has the best record in the league and can wrap up the #1 seed in the playoffs with a win over the Jacksonville Jackals.

Jacksonville (3-10), who had won two in a row after starting 1-9, loss to the Chicago Cyclones (also 3-10) in what could be a preview of the Toilet Bowl. They trail by nine points, with the Cyclones still having Bill Schroeder tonight.

Check back here tommorrow morning for official results and a updated look at the playoff picture.